In 2025, Dalan Fund will launch the Romani Program which is aimed at serving as an alternative mechanism to existing practices of resource distribution to intersectional Romani organizing. It employs participatory, decolonial, and activist-led approaches to support Romani organizing. Informed by lived experiences of Romani women, trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people, the program aims to support re-envisioning and building pathways toward resilience, collective power, dignity, and access to human rights for Romani communities. Eligible countries for the program include Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
About the Participatory Decision-Making Committee: Role Summary
Dalan Fund as an activist-led multi-regional fund is committed to democratizing resource distribution practices and putting analysis of regional intersectional grassroots organizers at the center of the decision-making on where funding goes.
During the first year of the program, a participatory decision-making body will be established, consisting of five Romani women, trans, intersex, and gender diverse activists from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. The Committee will play a key role in co-designing the Romani Program, contributing to the portfolio conceptualization, co-developing the funding criteria and priorities, and will collectively determine where the funding goes.
Romani Participatory Decision-making Committee (Romani PDMC) will work closely with the Resource Distribution Coordinator of the Romani Program to co-design a call for proposals, program priorities, criteria, and procedures, support community outreach, and select movement partners.
Romani activists from Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, including diasporic organizers from these countries are welcome to apply.
Key considerations:
The Participatory Decision-Making Committee will comprise 5 members who play the role of connectors and weavers of local expertise and analysis, guiding Dalan Fund´s Romani Program;
- The Committee Members are expected to accompany the Fund for a minimum of one and a maximum of three years. We expect that the engagement will take up to 10 hours per month on average, except for the periods of active co-design, application review, and decision-making (e.g. in 2025, we anticipate that the busiest time for the committee members would be March through June, and then in September). Please refer to a more detailed outline of timelines below;
- The role is voluntary, nevertheless, Dalan Fund follows a feminist practice of compensating for the engagement, time, and expertise of grassroots activists. Therefore, the committee members will be compensated USD 1000 per year;
Conflict of interest policy: Members of PDMC have to indicate their level of closeness to each applicant. In case of conflict of interest, they will not participate in the final decision-making for the group with which conflict of interest exists.
Core Responsibilities:
1. Resource Distribution Strategy and Practice
- In 2025, participate in virtual co-creation sessions (around 10 sessions, 2 hours each) to co-design the Participatory Resource Distribution (RD) mechanism for the Romani Program:
- FULL LIST OF TASKS
- Provide strategic input to developing the Fund´s Resource Distribution MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) framework and indicators for the Romani program;
- After the RD team performs the initial screening of the applications, conducts additional screening and scoring of the sub-regional applications assigned to the committee member, and provides inputs for the final selection of the Fund´s movement partners;
- Assist with the due diligence as requested;
- Contribute to the development of the accompaniment for the selected groups, based on the initial analysis and identified needs from the groups;
- Members are expected to uphold the integrity of the decision-making processes and maintain accountability and transparency, fostering an environment of trust and mutual solidarity that benefits Romani social justice movements and Romani women, trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people-led organizations;
- Provide input to the evaluation of the Romani Program Resource Distribution cycle in 2025 and provide feedback on further development of the Program and the Committee itself;
- Contribute to co-shaping relevant Fund strategies, and participate in reflection and learning sessions to evaluate the Fund´s RD approaches;
- Support advocacy efforts for resourcing women, trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people-led Romani organizing.
Preliminary timeline of activities for 2025 related to Resource Distribution on the Romani Program:
- March-JuneParticipate in online sessions to co-create mechanisms for Romani resource distribution portfolio
- Jun/July
- August-September
- October
*Please note: We understand the value of your time and recognize that activists are often engaged in critical work that may limit their availability. Therefore, we want to assure you that your contribution and co-creation efforts will be fully supported and facilitated by the Dalan Resource Distribution Team. We are committed to providing guidance and assistance throughout the process, ensuring that your participation is both impactful and manageable within your demanding schedules.
2. Outreach and community building
- Support with dissemination of the call for application to women, trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people-led Romani groups working within diverse Romani movements in eligible countries;
- Identify and share key spaces and opportunities for outreach as well as events or advocacy campaigns in relevant countries and the region that could be strategic for the Fund to engage;
- Participate in community-building spaces for PDMC members and Dalan Funds´s movement partners;
- Join the Fund in various regional and international spaces and represent diverse Romani movements and women, trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people-led collectives;
Expected skills and personal qualities:
- Activist and/or professional experience within Romani organizing, with a deep understanding of the local context, dynamics within the movement(s) and communities, hindering factors and opportunities;
- Commitment to feminist values, collective care, solidarity, and collective learning;
- Self-awareness and insight while working with accountability to the team members, following up and following through;
- Eagerness to experiment, creativity, and growth mindset;
- Flexible, iterative, and adaptive to fast-changing environments;
- Fluency in English.
Desirable, but not mandatory:
- Experience with collective decision-making and participatory processes.
- Prior experience with grant-making mechanisms or serving in advisory committees.
Confidentiality
The PDMC member is expected to maintain discretion regarding sensitive topics and funding decisions. During and after the terms, the Committee member will observe confidentiality about all information related to the Applicants or projects that were made available to them on a confidential basis or disclosure of which they know or suspect could harm others.
Application process
Submit your (1) resume highlighting your relevant experience; (2) cover letter describing your approach towards co-designing the Romani Program; (3) two reference contacts to Marija Jakovljevic at marija@dalan.fund no later than February 24th, 2025.
